The present invention concerns knives, and more particularly, a knife of the type having a blade affixed within a knife handle such as widely employed for sporting use in camping, hunting, fishing, etc.
It has heretofore been recognized that it would be very advantageous for such knives to have a means for replacing the knife blade such that a single handle may be adapted for multi-purpose use. There have heretofore been devised arrangements whereby the knife is releasably locked within the handle for the purpose of enabling such a readily removable blade, examples of such designs are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,900,950, 4,233,737 and 2,695,450, the latter Patent in the context of the knife and hatchet use of a single handle assembly.
It is highly desirable that in any such design that the knife blade be securely supported by the handle such that the handle may rigidly support the blade during use, resisting, without loosening, the stresses which may be imposed on the knife during its use.
A further quality in such design is that of simplicity and ease with which the locking mechanism may be manipulated by the user. It is highly undesirable that complicated or time consuming procedures be employed in changing or removing the blade.
A further highly desirable attribute of any such design is a smooth outer contour, free from projecting elements since such projections would tend to catch, and also would reduce the esthetic appeal of the particular design, an important factor in its marketability. Exposed recesses and cavities also tend to collect dirt and moisture nad make the knife more difficult to keep clean and rust-free.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a knife of the type having a detachable blade, in which the locking mechanism, while being readily manipulated to release the blade, insures that the blade is held with great rigidity when inserted in the knife handle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a detachable blade knife in which a locking mechanism is employed which is simple and trouble-free.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a knife having a detachable blade in which the knife handle is configured with smooth outer contours having a high degree of esthetic appear free from projections or cavities.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a knife with a detachable blade in which the locking mechanism may be operated with a simple movement in order to release the knife blade for removal and replacement.